Stress-Less Grooming

06/05/2026

I’ve been quiet on my business page lately and keep saying I need to start posting again, but honestly this year has been a difficult one for many reasons.

After a hospital appointment today, I’ve now been told I’ll need surgery on my hand. I don’t have a confirmed date yet, but I’ve been advised it will likely be within the next 4–6 weeks, and I may not get a huge amount of notice before going in.

Because of this, I’ll still be holding off on taking on any new clients for the time being. Some of my regular day-to-day grooming tasks are also becoming increasingly difficult due to the pain and limitations in my hand at the moment.

I know I already have some regular appointments booked around that time, but unfortunately, until I receive a surgery date, I don’t yet know which appointments may be affected. As soon as I know more, I’ll contact anyone impacted directly and keep everyone updated.

I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. Please enjoy this photo of Skype giving me his best smile 😀😍💛

06/05/2026

I’ve been quiet on my business page lately and keep saying I need to start posting again, but honestly this year has been a difficult one for many reasons.

After a hospital appointment today, I’ve now been told I’ll need surgery on my hand. I don’t have a confirmed date yet, but I’ve been advised it will likely be within the next 4–6 weeks, and I may not get a huge amount of notice before going in.

Because of this, I’ll still be holding off on taking on any new clients for the time being. Some of my regular day-to-day grooming tasks are also becoming increasingly difficult due to the pain and limitations in my hand at the moment.

I know I already have some regular appointments booked around that time, but unfortunately, until I receive a surgery date, I don’t yet know which appointments may be affected. As soon as I know more, I’ll contact anyone impacted directly and keep everyone updated.

I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. Please enjoy this picture of Skype giving me his best smile😍💛

14/04/2026

05/04/2026

Happy Easter from me and Kenny 🐣🧡

25/03/2026

I’ve had a lot of conversations about muzzles over the years…

From “just put one on and get on with it” to “I’d never muzzle my dog.”

Here’s where I stand:

A muzzle isn’t a quick fix for a dog who’s struggling. Pushing through a groom with one won’t help how that dog feels — and can actually add more stress if they’re not trained for it.

But I’m not against muzzles at all.

When introduced properly, they can be a really positive tool — keeping dogs, owners, and professionals safe without adding fear. I work in exactly the same way as I do with an unmuzzled dog, and I show owners how to properly make it a positive thing for their dog.

In my work, it’s always about how it’s used.

And then there’s my Kenny…

Kenny wears a muzzle out and about because I can’t control other dogs running up to him. It gives him space, keeps him safe, and allows him to navigate the world and learn about his new life with me, with a bit of space and safety. I’ve had some interesting mixed reactions from passers by!

A muzzle isn’t a bad thing.

Used well, it’s very supportive tool.

23/03/2026

It’s National Puppy Day 🐾

Barney is the only dog I’ve ever had from a tiny 10-week-old puppy, so here’s my favourite puppy photo of him. With his birthday coming up, it’s bittersweet to think he would have been 17 this year 🥹

After Barney came Meg, who joined me at around 12–13 years old, then Mollie at around 2, and now Kenny, who’s roughly 7–8. I often wonder what Mollie was like as a puppy…. I bet she was wild!

If I’m honest… I’m not really a puppy person. I mean, I love puppies—who doesn’t?—but I don’t see myself going to a breeder. I’ve never had a specific breed or “type” I needed, and finding a truly responsible breeder doesn’t seem like as easy thing these days.

Getting a puppy is no guarantee of ending up with a healthy, well-rounded dog, and while puppies are amazing, there’s also something really special about meeting an adult dog once they’re past all those early stages of development. You get a sense of who they truly are, and that connection feels just as real as when you’ve watched your dog grow into an adult💛

23/03/2026

One of the most common things I hear is:

“But they’re not in pain — they’re still running around and playing.”

The reality is, dogs can appear happy, active, and full of energy, and still be experiencing discomfort or underlying health issues.

Because of that, behaviour during grooming can sometimes be one of the clearest ways a dog shows us that something isn’t quite right. And it’s not always as straightforward as pain showing up in one specific area — for example, discomfort in the hips or back can make something like lifting a front leg feel difficult or uncomfortable.

It’s something I always keep in mind when a dog is struggling — not just how they seem day to day, but what they’re telling me in that moment. Taking the time to listen to those signals can make a huge difference to how a dog experiences grooming.

Pictured is lovely Coco, who has hip dysplasia. You’d never know from how she runs through the door to greet me, but there are lots of signs that she doesn’t find some standard grooming procedures very comfortable. Listening to her and adapting things where I can makes a huge difference💛

21/03/2026

One of the biggest challenges I help dogs with is face grooming.

It’s also the area where I see the most risk — and, understandably, the most pressure from owners.

Hearing “just a little bit more off here” when a dog is struggling can be really difficult, because I can see the risk when a dog isn’t coping — both for them and for me.

Many of the dogs I work with find the handling side of face grooming hard. This includes things like:
• touching and moving the ears
• holding or working around the muzzle
• staying still enough for detailed trimming

For me to groom safely, I need a level of stillness. I often keep one hand gently on the dog — not to hold them in place, but to feel and predict movement (like a head turn or tongue flick) before it happens.

If a dog isn’t comfortable with that level of handling yet, then detailed face grooming just isn’t safe to do.

Some dogs are simply very avoidant and struggle with even gentle handling, meaning they can’t stay still at all. I’m also increasingly seeing dogs who have a history of snapping around their face.

In these cases, longer facial hair can add another layer of risk — if I can’t clearly see subtle warning signs (like a lip twitch or small eye movement), it becomes much harder to predict what the dog might do next.

A dog who snaps at scissors is at real risk of injuring themselves.

My aim is always to work within your dog’s limits, so they don’t feel the need to escalate to that point — even if that means the face isn’t taken quite as short as you might like.

I’m not immune to accidents, even working in a behaviour-aware way. And honestly, causing an injury — especially around a dog’s face — is something I take very seriously.

So when I say “that’s enough for today”, it’s always with your dog’s safety in mind.

Here are some lovely dogs who have found face grooming tricky 💛 With the right approach, things can improve.

If you’d like to support your dog with this at home, I’m always happy to guide you.

The more your dog can practise feeling comfortable with gentle handling between grooms, the easier and safer the process becomes for them.

16/03/2026

Grooming doesn’t have to follow the same routine for every dog. It should be as individual as they are.

Lola has her baths at home, so when she visits I focus on her trimming and combing through those fabulous ears.

Mouse doesn’t have the most accurate impression of grooming, as he mostly comes along for a cuddle and some snacks 🧡

15/03/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the dog mums out there! 💛